A common conference system, that is, a conventional video conference system, is a system providing audio and video communications on the basis of H.323, H.320, and SIP (Session Initial Protocol) standard protocols. The common conference site typically uses 1 path of video input and 1 path of video output.
A telepresence conference system, that is, a new remote presentation system differs from the common conference system, is a video conference system of high experience. The telepresence conference site performs multi-screen output through multiple paths of camera, so as to provide more realistic video communication effect.
Virtual conference sites may be classified into different types of conference sites on the basis of geography or according to functions of conference participators, and a set of common conference sites and telepresence conference sites of the same type is referred to as a virtual conference site. For example, in a multi-point video conference, if classification is made according to geography, three sub-conference sites of development, customer service, and marketing in Shanghai may be virtualized into a Shanghai virtual conference site.
A multi-picture technology refers to that a video conference system supports combining multiple paths of pictures entering the conference with different or the same protocol and rate into the same one (or several) picture, encodes the picture again by using a rate and protocol required by the conference, and sends the picture to any one or several terminals participating the conference.
During the implementation of the present invention, the inventor finds that the prior art has the following defects:
In a hybrid conference including the common conference site and the telepresence conference site, multi-path broadcast transmission for pictures of a certain type of virtual conference site (including multiple sub-conference sites) currently adopts a conference control mode of switching virtual conference sites one by one. This conference control mode not only has a complicated operation, but also has a problem that the multiple virtual conference sites are broadcasted sequentially and cannot be well presented, so it is impossible to provide a good experience for participators of the video conference.